The Woodlawn Ecoscape

One of the classic manifestations of sprawl has been the depopulation of urban cores. Birmingham provides a good example with approximately 10% of its population having moved to suburban areas over the past decade. With no buyers, many homeowners have been forced to rent their properties resulting in a general decline of property values. Many houses have since burned down or been abandoned forcing local government to raze the structures. Birmingham now has over 8,000 vacant lots, and this number is growing daily.

The Southern Environmental Center’s EcoScape Program serves as a successful model on how to combat this form of urban decay. SEC identifies grant funding, oversees design and construction, and establishes partnerships with neighborhood associations and a “local anchor” like a nearby church or business, which will ultimately own the property. The Woodlawn EcoScape provides a good example. What was once a littered lot in a drug-infested neighborhood now serves as a botanical gem. Behind a wrought iron leaf fence are blueberry bushes and raised beds of organically grown vegetables surrounded by native wildflowers. A recycled brick pathway leads visitors to a patio with a sunflower motif. The facility is used for community festivals, as a classroom by the adjacent high school, and even, on occasion, by a nearby church to conduct outdoor services. As part of a maintenance program, the SEC trained a graduate from a local substance abuse clinic to serve as a resident gardener.